Butler City Council will consider applying for a low-interest loan for the Sullivan Run flood control project and street light improvements.

Council agreed at Tuesday’s forum meeting to consider a motion at Thursday’s regular meeting to direct engineer Joe Gray to apply to the recently-created Butler County Infrastructure Bank for money for both projects.

Mayor Ben Smith said plans for both projects have been on the books for years and the infrastructure bank creates an opportunity to get the projects done.

“It looks like we have an opportunity to move forward with it,” Smith said.

The flood control project would be a massive endeavor involving the city, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

“It would almost contain a 100 year flood,” said building code official John Evans.

He said the project would “vastly” reduce the flood plain, relieving residents and businesses from having to purchase flood insurance, and help attract businesses to the flood prone area.

Smith said he did not know the amount the city would ask to borrow, but the loan would have a 10-year term and an interest rate of 1.5 percent. He said Gray will determine the amount of the loan and council will know the amount for Thursday’s meeting. The application is due sometime in March.

Money to repay the loan is in the city’s budget, Smith said.

The project includes work on culverts, bridges, the creek channel and creek banks and work downstream of the city, he said.

He said the Army Corps and DEP would fund part of the work and he wants the city to have its share of the funding available.

“Let’s protect our residents from flooding,” Smith said.

Councilman Jeff Smith said he will contact the Butler County Tourism Foundation for information about a grant for a streetscape project downtown.

He said the city could use $500,000 from the streetlight fund as the required match to get a $500,000 grant for the project.

“We could use $500,000 to get $1 million for streetscape at no additional cost,” he said.